Hendo A HEAVY Early Favorite vs. Bisping

It's almost ridiculous...I'm listening to last night's episode of "Pro MMA Radio" right now (Podcast version) and host Larry Pepe said the opening line on Dan Henderson vs. Michael Bisping for after TUF 9 was roughly -500, or about 5-1 in favor of Hendo. (That comes from Vegas-based SportsBook) No frakkin' way. If I was setting the odds I'd have it at about -300 Bisping, if that holds I'd take a flier on Bisping.

Oddsmakers, anyone?

prozacnation1978

4/7/09 10:13:41AM

i was thinking 250 to 300 on hendo line but 500 is alot if that is the case i might just shell a little moeny for bisping to win when i am in vegas

wiggum

4/7/09 10:57:59AM

i wouldnt say that hendo is a 5-1 favorite, that is pushing it....but i doubt that in at any time are the odds gonna favor bisping...he will be the underdog coming in.....if anything based solely on theyre individual track records and most recent accomplishments (who is more of a legit win, franklin or leben.......)

Pookie

4/7/09 11:05:30AM

I dont understand how anyone could think Bisping should be at -300

KaibaThedon

4/7/09 11:44:30AM

lawl if bisping was at -300 i'd place a monster bet on hendo.

State_Champ

4/7/09 12:09:30PM

-500 Hendo makes sense to me. Henderson is better than Bisping

IriShame

4/7/09 1:06:14PM

Posted by State_Champ

-500 Hendo makes sense to me. Henderson is better than Bisping

Yeah, but that much better? I don't know.

DCRage

4/7/09 1:14:21PM

A couple years ago Hendo might've been better, but even though I don't like Bisping I think he's better now. Hendo hasn't looked that good his last couple fights, especially the loss to Palhares. Bisping's got age and conditioning on his side so I think he'll pull it off.

SmileR

4/7/09 2:19:41PM

Posted by DCRage

A couple years ago Hendo might've been better, but even though I don't like Bisping I think he's better now. Hendo hasn't looked that good his last couple fights, especially the loss to Palhares. Bisping's got age and conditioning on his side so I think he'll pull it off.

I'm thinking along the same lines! Hendo will obviously have the power, wrestling and strength but Bisping has got the speed, aglity, conditioning, jitz and youth on his side.All that being said though I still wouldn't pick Bisping. Hendo can always take him down and smother him for 3 rounds which I hink will be his game plan!

king_katool

4/7/09 2:30:35PM

Posted by DCRage

A couple years ago Hendo might've been better, but even though I don't like Bisping I think he's better now. Hendo hasn't looked that good his last couple fights, especially the loss to Palhares. Bisping's got age and conditioning on his side so I think he'll pull it off.

He beat palhares?

The_Metal_Maniac

4/7/09 2:35:55PM

Posted by Pookie

I dont understand how anyone could think Bisping should be at -300

Neither do I. Hendo -500 is the beginning line, it will regulate itself as money is distributed on Bisping.

Drudinh

4/7/09 2:46:41PM

Yea I agree there shouldn't be a huge favor but Hendo should still take the fight with exp and better rounded skills

Franklinfan47

4/7/09 2:48:17PM

Henderson should win, but I think Bisping will put up one hell of a fight. Who knows, he may even pull the upset.

cowcatcher

4/7/09 3:03:59PM

Posted by DCRage

A couple years ago Hendo might've been better, but even though I don't like Bisping I think he's better now. Hendo hasn't looked that good his last couple fights, especially the loss to Palhares. Bisping's got age and conditioning on his side so I think he'll pull it off.

he won his last 2 fights against pahlares and franklin and lost the two before that to anderson and rampage in what were more or less title unification bouts, i dont know how any of that makes him look bad at all.

he should be the favorite, i dont know how bispings resume even comes close to his and 4 of dans last four fights were against dominant current or former champions.

Fox

4/7/09 3:55:20PM

i think its alright. really look at the competition each fighter has beatin. even with the huge bonus i wouldnt put a dime on bisping.WAR HENDO

AchillesHeel

4/7/09 4:39:35PM

I think -500 is a little excessive, but not completely unreasonable. Remember, the whole point of a betting line is to entice wagers on both fighters. That's how the book makes money. A betting line isn't an estimate of a fighter's chance to win, it's a lure to get people to put money on the underdog.

Wolfenstein

4/7/09 4:46:24PM

It probably won't be +500 as many will snatch up this bet at +500 while they can, before it ends up around +350 to +250.

The way Bisping has struggled against wrestlers like Rashad and Hammil--he's lucky to get an opening line of +500.

Pookie

4/7/09 5:06:15PM

I think people are forgetting how frequently Bisping gets hit when he fights.

Aaronno9

4/7/09 5:11:33PM

Posted by Pookie

I think people are forgetting how frequently Bisping gets hit when he fights.

Not when hes fighting not to get hit. Did Leben even make it into double figures?

Pookie

4/7/09 5:12:15PM

Posted by Aaronno9

Posted by Pookie

I think people are forgetting how frequently Bisping gets hit when he fights.

Not when hes fighting not to get hit. Did Leben even make it into double figures?

in the third round alone im pretty sure he did.

edit - im watching the fight right now, its loading super slow so im only a round into it.

but by the end of round 1 leben landed 27 strikes (give or take 3)

NatedawgThaM

4/8/09 2:46:22AM

How is it ridiculous? It's well deserving!!! I just can't really see how Bisping is gonna win this fight. The only thing I can see is if Hendo has a bad camp and other intangibles like that which throws his game off just a little and Bisping is just able to outpoint him by amazingly somehow keeping it on the feet and having more accurate shots boxing from a distance and pulls it out on points.

But Anderson wasn't even able to do that and he's a MUCH MUCH better striker and boxer then Bisping. So I don't know how he can do it. I think Hendo will be able to close the distance easily and easily be able to outmuscle him and throw him around with his strength and wrestling like a ragdoll. Rampage was only able to beat him because he's just as strong and just as tough as Hendo and actually was aggressive towards Hendo and was able to just BARELY outwork him. Bisping has nothing equal to anything Anderson or Rampage brought to the table IMHO. Honestly if Bisping even thinks about taking a step forward to trade then Hendo will drop and brutally KO him immediately with a KO. Hendo's just too strong and powerful.

People might say speed & quickness for Bisping? But Anderson is much fast then both IMO and he still wasn't able to keep Hendo out of his face and not get easily taken down. Anderson was able to get by just with his long limbs and slickness with his limbs with BJJ. Bisping don't have that either! So IMHO the odds are definitely justified. But if anyone wants to go broke going for hendo, be my guess, just trying to save your money!!!

telnights

4/8/09 3:21:30AM

I already have money on Bisping to win at 4to1. But Bisping never gets the respect he should. He has shown many times he is a top 10 fighter and can cause trouble for anyone. He also looks better every time he fights. On the other hand Hendo has started to look a little worse every time I see him fight. He seams to gas out and his boxing has slowed way down. I feel age is really starting to catch up with him. Now I'm not saying he isn't a great fighter just saying he isn't the same fighter he was 3 years ago. I don't know if its true but rumors say he really hasn't been focused on training like he did 3 years ago.

At the most I would have the fight set at -200 for Hendo and -130 for Bisping. If Hendo can use the clinch and not eat a ton of knees there then he should be able to get the UD if he cant its going to a long night for him as Bisping stays to the outside and picks him apart. This fight is a lot closer than most think it is.

cmill21

4/8/09 3:32:31AM

I'm confused...Hendo's last 5 fights have been against 4 champs and one serious contender, yet he's slowing down and not looking as good? I didn't think the Franklin fight should have been a split, Hendo won it and look great, Palhares was another great showing IMO, he lost to Anderson but he took a round and then veered from the gameplan, in manys opinion(including mine) he edged out Rampage, and of course we know what he did to Wand(the UFC's heavy hitter at LHW coulden't put him away). His boxing isn't great, it's all right hands, he never uses his feet so why do people expect bone crushing KO's when guys constantly avoid that side of his body? People lose because he can get anyone down, he can over power anyone(he did to Page) and if you make one mistake it's lights out. What in Bispings past tells anyone he can avoid being under Dan?

AchillesHeel

4/8/09 10:01:00AM

Posted by telnights

But Bisping never gets the respect he should. He has shown many times he is a top 10 fighter and can cause trouble for anyone.

I like Bisping a lot, but let's not get crazy. I would agree that he's Top-10, if you mean "[...]in the UFC." Overall, I think I'd put him in the Top-15, maybe as high as #11 or #12. He's fought a Top-10 guy just once, and he lost. The only other Top-20 fighter he's ever fought nearly beat him (and a lot of people say it was a crap decision). We can and should give Bisping some credit for dropping to Middleweight after making some noise at Light-Heavyweight, but Chris Leben, Charles McCarthy and Jason Day aren't even Top-25 fighters (overall).

Meanwhile, Dan Henderson has had one of the toughest careers, in terms of caliber of opposition, in the history of the sport.

Bisping gets all the respect he's earned. Maybe more.

bls1919

4/8/09 9:58:16PM

+500 on Henderson isnt that far fetched IMO. These lines are made to intice betting. Really look at the level of competition these guys have fought...........Bisping has fought nobody near the competiton that Dan has. Leben ....his latest fight was his toughest. And not a shot at Leben but he is no, Wandy 2x, Big NOG 3x, Arona, Bustamante2x, Belfort. Hendo has been in there against he best in the world, many times. No way Bisping gets this fight close to a finish. Hendo wins via UD or early TKO.